Improvement in tobacco-presses



i v v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

THOMAS N. READ, OF ASPINVALL, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN TOBACCO-PRESSES.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,410, dated May 22, 1860.

To all whom it 71u07/ concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS N. READ, of Aspinwall, in the county of Charlotte and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in rIobaceo and other Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the press complete. Fig. 2 represents a section through the same, and Fig. 3 represents a pawl for holding the gearing.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several figures, denote like parts of the press 1n all the drawing/sf My invention consists in the manner in which I have arranged and combined the hinged presser-beam and hinged rack with the mechanism for actuating the press, and retaining the pressure when on the article to be compressed by it.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents a bed or base, in which is fixed an upright bearing-post, B. To this post B is pivoted the presserbeam C, by one of its ends, the other end thereofl having a mortise, a, through it, so as to move up and down upon the rack D, which is pivoted at b to a fixed post or anchor, E, set in the opposite end ofthe bed A from that containing the bearingpost B.

In suitable bearings, c, -on the free end of the presser-beam A is hung a friction-roll, d, which bears against the back of the hinged rack D, to keep said rack constantly in gear with the pinion o, which actuates said rack, moving the rack on its hinge b for this purpose.

e is a pinion, the shaft of which issupported in the presser-beam C, and on said shaft, at one or both sides of the beam A, there is a crank, f, by which it may be operated. The

pinion. c with a cog-wheel, F,whose shaft 'ion c, and this pawl g is pivoted or hung upon the shaft of the pinion e, so as to turn thereon, and has connected to it a rod, h, or its equivalent, by which its teeth n may be held out of Contact with the gear-wheel F, said rod for this purpose having an arm, o', upon it that enters a hole in the beam A. The weight alone of the pawl g, when the arm r is de tachedvfrom its catch, may cause it to swing into contact with the gear F, and thus hold it; or the pawl may be thrown into action by the rod h, and by a second hole in the beam for that purpose hold it in action in the same way that it is held out of action.

G G are stands for the operator or operators ofthe press. These stands are suspended to the beam A by a frame or suspension-pieces, t' i t', so as to enable the operator to conven iently stand thereon and ,work the cranks f, thus adding the weight -of the operator or operators to the power of the press, and always keeping them in an easy position for working it. The weight of the gearing and the operators so placed on the extreme of the free end of the presser-beam adds so much to the power of the press. The tobacco, or whatever is to be pressed, is placed nearthe rear of the presser-beam, and is performed in any of the usual well-known ways.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire io secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In combination with a hinged presser-beam, carrying at its free end the gearing, and the person or persons who operate the press, a hinged rack, which is held up to the gearing by a presser-roll or its equivalent, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose herein set forth and explained.

THOMAS N. READ.

W'itnesses:

E. COHEN, A. B. STOUGHTON. 

